This invention relates to new fluorinated cephalosporin antibiotics and to formulations comprising, and methods of using, these antibiotics to control susceptible pathogens. The invention particularly relates to veterinary formulations and to methods for preventing or treating mastitis in a mammal with a fluorinated cephalosporin of this invention.
Mastitis is a serious problem, especially in the dairy industry. It is an inflammation of the udder caused by a number of different pathogens, including Staphylococcus species and Streptococcus species. There are, however, difficulties in treating mastitis effectively while still meeting the needs of the dairy industry. The agent used must be effective against the pathogen or pathogens causing the mastitis, must not adversely affect the animal being treated, and must be quickly cleared from the animal""s system so that the milk it produces may be safe for subsequent use.
This invention provides a new group of fluorinated cephalosporin compounds of formula I: 
wherein
Ra, Rb, Rc, Rd and Re, independently, are H, F or a C1-C6 alkyl-(Z)nxe2x80x94 group having at least one fluorine substituent;
X is O or S;
Y is S, O, or xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94;
Z is O, S, xe2x80x94SOxe2x80x94, or xe2x80x94SO2xe2x80x94;
m and n independently are 0 or 1; ; and
R1 is H, C1-C6-alkyl, phenyl or benzyl, each of which may optionally have up to three substituents selected from halo, C1-C4-alkoxy, phenyl, NO2, C1-C6-alkanoyl, benzoyl, or C1-C6-alkanoyloxy;
or a physiologically acceptable salt thereof;
provided that:
1) at least one of Ra, Rb, Rc, Rd or Re is other than hydrogen; and
2) when Rc is F, or one of Rb or Rd is CF3, at least one of the remaining Ra, Rb, Rc, Rd or Re is other than hydgrogen.
The term xe2x80x9cC1-Cn-alkylxe2x80x9d refers to a straight or branched chain alkyl group having the designated number of carbon atoms. Examples include methyl, ethyl, isopropyl, n-pentyl, and the like.
The term xe2x80x9chaloxe2x80x9d refers to chloro, iodo, bromo or fluoro.
The formula I esters, i.e.. those compounds wherein R1 is other than hydrogen or a salt form, act as pro-drugs. Thus, these compounds are converted in vivo to the corresponding free acid that has the desired activity. Certain Formula I esters are preferred. These esters include the pivaloyloxymethyl, acetoxymethyl, methoxymethyl, acetonyl, 1-(acetyloxy)ethyl and phenacyl.
Physiologically acceptable salts of the formula I compounds are also part of this invention. These salts include alkali-metal salts, e.g., sodium, potassium, etc., alkaline-earth metal salts, e.g., calcium, magnesium, etc., and salts with organic bases, such as organic amines, e.g., benzathine, pyridine, triethylamine, tripropylamine and triisopropylamine, etc. The triethylamine and sodium salts are particularly preferred salts.
The formula I compounds are active both in vitro and in vivo against various pathogenic organisms. In one aspect, they are active against certain pathogens that cause mastitis in mammals, particularly in ruminants. A special benefit of the formula I compounds is that they are active at levels such that they may provide improved control of mastitis over products currently used in the dairy industry.
This invention provides, therefore, a method of preventing or treating mastitis in a mammal that comprises administering to the mammal an amount of a formula I compound that effectively prevents or treats the mastitis. This method is particularly useful for preventing or treating mastitis in a ruminant.
The formula I compounds are especially useful for preventing or treating mastitis in cattle, goats and sheep. In one embodiment of this invention, the formula I compound is administered as the animal is lactating (xe2x80x9cwet cowxe2x80x9d therapy). In this embodiment the milk will be discarded until the mastitis has been successfully treated and the drug has cleared the animal, i.e., the drug is no longer present in the milk. The compounds of this invention may also be used for xe2x80x9cdry cowxe2x80x9d therapy, that is when administration occurs after lactation, and the animal will thereafter be managed as a dry cow with no further milking until the next parturition. In still another aspect, the formula I compound can be used prophylactically by administering it to a non-lactating animal, such as a nulliparous heifer, in the period prior to parturition.
The formula I compounds can be administered by a variety of methods, such as intramuscularly, subcutaneously, intravenously, intranasally, orally or by intramammary infusion. When used for preventing or treating mastitis, they are preferably administered by intramammary infusion.
It is understood in the art that the amount of formula I compound administered should be the amount that is effective to control the particular pathogen or pathogens in question. In addition, the type, size and condition of the host being treated must be taken into consideration. For example, when controlling a pathogen responsible for mastitis, the dose will vary depending on the type and size of the ruminant being treated.
As an illustration, when treating mastitis in cows amounts of from about 10 to about 1000 milligrams per quarter are generally effective to control the mastitis. Doses of about 50 to 300 mg per quarter are preferable; and doses of about 100 to 200 mg per quarter are most effective. In goats, on the other hand, amounts of from about 10 to about 100 milligrams per half are generally sufficient; doses of about 10 to 30 mg per half are preferred; and a dose of 20 mg per half is most preferred. An effective amount may be achieved by multiple dosings.
This invention also provides a veterinary or pharmaceutical formulation comprising a Formula I compound and one or more physiologically acceptable carriers. The veterinary formulations of this invention are particularly useful for preventing or treating mastitis in a mammal, especially a ruminant. Preferred ruminants are cattle and goats.
The formula I compounds can be formulated for veterinary or pharmaceutical administration according to methods understood in the art. When the compound is to be used in a veterninary formulation for preventing or treating mastitis, the formulation is preferably one that can be administered by intramammary infusion. For this type of infusion, the compound may be formulated in an oily base, e.g., a vegetable oil such as peanut oil or a non-vegetable oil such as mineral oil. The formulation may include a thickening agent and optionally also a surfactant.
When a formula I compound is to be administered to a mammal, for the treatment of other types of infections, it may be preferable to administer it in a pharmaceutical formulation comprising one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients. The preparation of such formulations is also understood in the art. See, for example, Remington the Science and Practice of Pharmacy, (Mack Publishing Co., Easton, Pa., 1995).
In preparing a veterinary formulation other than for intramammary infusion, or a pharmaceutical formulation, the formula I compound is usually mixed with an excipient, diluted by an excipient or enclosed within a carrier that can be in the form of a capsule, sachet, or other container. When the excipient serves as a diluent, it can be a solid, semi-solid, or liquid material that acts as a vehicle, carrier or medium for the active ingredient. Thus, the compositions can be in the form of tablets, pills, powders, lozenges, sachets, cachets, elixirs, suspensions, emulsions, solutions, syrups, aerosols (as a solid or in a liquid medium), ointments, soft and hard gelatin capsules, suppositories, sterile injectable solutions and sterile packaged powders.
During the preparation of the formulation, it may be necessary to mill the active compound to provide the appropriate particle size prior to combining it with the other ingredients. If the active compound is substantially insoluble, it ordinarily is milled to a particle size of less than 200 mesh. If the active compound is substantially water soluble, the particle size is normally adjusted by milling to provide a substantially uniform distribution in the formulation, e.g., about 40 mesh. When the compound is to be used in a formulation for intramammary infusion, it is preferable that the particle size be less than 100 microns and even more preferable that it be about 10 microns.
Examples of suitable carriers, excipients and diluents include lactose, dextrose, sucrose, sorbitol, mannitol, starches, gum acacia, calcium phosphate, alginates, tragacanth, gelatin, calcium silicate, microcrystalline cellulose, polyvinylpyrrolidone, cellulose, water, syrup, and methyl cellulose. The formulations can additionally include: lubricating agents such as talc, magnesium stearate, and mineral oil; wetting agents; emulsifying and suspending agents; preserving agents such as methyl- and propylhydroxybenzoates; sweetening agents; and flavoring agents. The compositions of the invention can be formulated so they provide quick, sustained or delayed release of the active ingredient after administration to the host by procedures known in the art.
For oral administration, the compound can be admixed with carriers and diluents and molded into tablets or enclosed in gelatin capsules.
The formula I compounds can be prepared by methods well understood in the art of cephalosporin antibiotics. Thus, for example, a 3-chloro-7-aminocephalosporanic acid is coupled with the acid halide of the corresponding side chain to be attached at the 7 position.
The following examples illustrate the compounds, methods and formulations of this invention.